Slow and Fast Life in Valjevo by Ivan Beljic

Photo by Ivan Beljic

We live in a peaceful city. Some say that’s good, while others say the opposite. Those who like this city are usually older people, who like to have a peaceful morning or time for sleeping, without noise from local pubs and cafes. But, on the other hand, young people who are full of conviviality tend to have some places to go out and have fun.

What can be said about our citizens is that they tend to linger over coffee and gossip, which is not very clever. I think that’s a waste of time, but when I look deeper I believe this may be the one of the reasons which connects the people, so no wonder if you come across neighbourliness almost everywhere. Our people are very hospitable, especially to their neighbours.

Although there are young people, subsidies are not very much popular in our area. In my opinion, that may be the breakpoint for young people to choose to leave Valjevo, so they go to more developed cities in order to seek for a job. What could be interesting here is the fact that there are some shoemakers and watchmakers who actually still have jobs.

As for the cuisine, Valjevo is known for dishes made from fishes caught in the river Gradac. By the way, Gradac is a favourite picnic area of citizens during hot summer days (this includes not just older people, but also the younger ones).

So, all in all, Valjevo is a city full of diversity. It can make young people feel fulfilled, but I believe it’s more suitable for life of older people.